Definitions
San Diego Municipal Code § 67.3802
in effect§67.3802 Definitions
For purposes of this Division, defined terms appear in italics. The following definitions apply in this Division:
Cascading Fountain means a water feature with a flow which does not eject water up into the air.
Customer means any person, corporation, public or private entity, public or private association, public or private agency, government agency or institution, school district, college, university, or any other user of water provided by the City of San Diego.
Days are defined as calendar days, unless otherwise indicated.
Disaster means a catastrophic, naturally occurring or man-made event, including earthquake, flood, fire, riot, or storm, for which a state of emergency has been declared by the President of the United States, the Governor of California, or the executive officer or legislative body of the City or County of San Diego.
Drought means any shortage in water supply based upon expected demand that is caused by hydrological, environmental, legislative, judicial actions, or by infrastructure failure.
Functional turf means a ground cover surface of turf located in a recreational use area or community space. Functional turf does not include turf enclosed by fencing or other barriers to permanently preclude human access for recreation or assembly.
Grower means a customer engaged in the growing or raising, in conformity with recognized practices of husbandry, for the purpose of commerce, trade, or industry, or for use by public educational or correctional institutions, of agricultural, horticultural or floricultural products, and produced: (1) for human consumption or for the market, or (2) for the feeding of fowl or livestock produced for human consumption or for the market, or (3) for the feeding of fowl or livestock for the purpose of obtaining their products for human consumption or for the market. Grower does not refer to customers who purchase water subject to the Metropolitan Interim Agricultural Water Program or the San Diego County Water Authority Special Agricultural Rate Programs.
Industrial Use means any of the following Subcategories of the Industrial Use Category in San Diego Municipal Code section 131.0112(a)(10): (A) Heavy Manufacturing; (B) Light Manufacturing; or (D) Research and Development.
Measurable Rainfall means a period during and within 48 hours after rainfall of 1/8 of an inch or more recorded at the nearest reporting weather station for the customer.
Metropolitan means the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Non-functional turf means any turf that is not functional turf, and includes turf located within right-of-way and parking lots.
Ornamental Fountain means a water feature with an external forced flow or stream of water against gravity that is not used for recreational purposes or to support aquatic life.
Potted Plant means any plant or group of plants contained in a pot or other receptacle that can be moved, including plants on boards, bark, driftwood or airplants (epiphytes).
Ch. Art. Div. 6 7 38 2 Recreational Fountain means any recreational structure, other than swimming pools or spa pools, which is open to the general public, or which may be open to the general public, and uses re-circulated water in which people come into contact. This includes water features, interactive fountains, water slides, waterfalls, or combinations of such water features. Water features not intended for human contact, such as ornamental fountains, are not included.
Right-of-way has the same meaning as Public Right-of-way in San Diego Municipal Code section 113.0103, as may be amended.
Shortage Response Actions means the supply shortage mitigation tools that can be implemented through the Water Shortage Contingency Plan and are a mix of prohibitions on end use, consumption reduction methods, supply augmentation, and operational change measures.
Turf means a ground cover surface of grass that is mowed and maintained.
Water Authority means the San Diego County Water Authority.
Water Conservation means the efficient management of water resources for beneficial uses, preventing waste, or accomplishing additional benefits with the same amount of water.
Water Shortage Contingency Plan means the City’s contingency plan in the event of a declared water emergency or enactment of more stringent restrictions on water use as required by the California Department of Water Resources.
Water Shortage Level means the progressive range of water supply shortages and defined shortage response actions as provided in the Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
(Renumbered from Sec. 67.38.1 and retitled to “Comprehensive Water Conservation Plan” on 10-19-1998 by O-18596 N.S.)
(Former Section 67.3802 repealed and added “Definitions”12-15-08 by O-19812 N.S; effective 1-14-2009.)
(Amended 10-28-2009 by O-19904 N.S.; effective 11-27-2009.)
(Amended 6-29-2015 by O-20517 N.S.; effective 6-29-2015.)
(Amended 8-4-2016 by O-20699 N.S.; effective 9-3-2016.)
(Amended 11-20-2019 by O-21156 N.S.; effective 12-20-2019.)
(Amended 6-15-2026 by O-22105 N.S.; effective 7-15-2026.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter06/Ch06Art07Division38.pdf#page=1Fetched: 10/28/2026